Sardines
by Mouse and Stupid Productions
Summary: The gang get bored one night and decide to play sardines at Hermione's suggestion. Chaos ensues and concludes in the office of Dumbledore. Set in fifth year.


**Disclaimer: I don't think that Jo spent solstice playing sardines in a college dorm building and had to write a fic about it.**

**A/N: I would be updating Eleven Years but I left my writing at my moms and am now at my dads. I couldn't have updated last night anyways because of the afforementioned solstice party that lasted until 3 am.**

It was a dark and stormy night in the Gryffindor common room. The usual suspects were gathered around the fire listening to the rain slam against the windows and the thunder boom around the tower. It was the Christmas holidays.

"I am bored," Ginny stated. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"We should do something fun," suggested Fred.

"By your definition of fun we would be hanging by our armpits off the astronomy tower," Angelina pointed out.

"She has a fair point," George said.

"I really have a potions essay to finish," Harry complained.

"So do I!" Ron exclaimed.

"I agree with Fred," Hermione started. "We should do something fun." She thought about it for a moment. "Oh!! Have you guys ever heard of the game Sardines?"

"I've heard of the fish," Katie said unhelpfully.

"Oh it's this great game. And it would be perfect as the only people who stayed this Christmas are all right here!" Hermione said happily.

"How do you play?" Ron asked.

"Wait... is this the one that the muggle college kids play?" Harry asked suspiciously. Hermione nodded.

"Well I'm in!" Harry said.

"How do you play?" Ginny asked.

"Okay. So what happens is this. One of us hides in a place that doesn't require magic to get to. Then everyone else tries to find them. But once they're found, you hide with them. Once every one finds them we come back."

"Fun!" Fred and George exclaimed.

"We need rules," Alicia pointed out. Fred, George and Lee made shushing noises at her.

"I agree. We'll make it fun. Multiple choice. If you see a teacher, what should you do? A. Go up and tell them what we're doing. B. Run away. C. Who cares? You drank to much Butterbeer to care."

The answers were varied.

"C!" chorused Fred, George and Lee.

"A!" yelled Ron, Harry and Katie.

"B!" Ginny, Alicia and Angelina shouted. Hermione nodded at Ginny and co.

"Next rule. Can you go into the bathroom of the opposite gender if the door is unlocked? A. No! And you should report it to a teacher if anyone else does. B. If it's unlocked it's fair game. C. I'm to drunk to care."

The answers were the same from the same people.

"Ginny, Alicia and Angelina are right again. Now you can hide anywhere on all seven floors, if it is unlocked and not magically accessed. Since it's a Muggle game, we should honor that. And you have to walk around alone. Who wants to hide?" Hermione asked.

"Me! I do!" yelled Ginny.

"All right. Ginny go hide. You can't change spots. Bye!" Ginny got up and walked out of the portrait hole. They sat around for three minutes.

"See ya," Harry said, leaving to go find her.

Another three minutes passed. Fred, George and Angelina left at the same time.

"Ah screw this," Ron said, standing up and leaving.  
"Yeah." Lee left, closely followed by Alicia and Katie. Last Hermione left the Gryffindor common room.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry wandered around the dark seventh floor. Hermione had never said anything about towers being off limits. He wandered up to the north tower. The top of the stairs led to Trelawney's room. Around halfway up there was a broom closet. Harry opened it. Ginny raised an eyebrow at him.

"You found me quickly Mr. Potter." They heard footsteps that sounded suspiciously like Professor Umbrige. Harry dove into the closet. Ginny swiftly shut the door.

"Well. This is cozy," Harry commented.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fred rounded a corner in the dungeons. He thought he heard the swish of a robe. Deciding it wasn't anything he jumped around the corner.

"ARRRGGGHHH!" Angelina yelled.

"ARRRGGGHHH!" Fred yelled back.

"What was that my sweet?" They heard a voice ask from around two corners.

"Filch!" they whispered. They took off in the opposite direction. They dashed up the back stair cases. A shattering noise made them look up. Peeves had loosened a crystal chandelier in the center of the stair well. It came crashing down. To avoid the crystal fragments they opened the nearest secret shortcut.

"Hi there," George said.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ron stormed down the stairs towards the kitchens. Stupid idea of Hermione's. As he burst through a tapestry the aforementioned Hermione rounded the corner. But of course it was really dark so Ron couldn't see. He only registered another presence when he ran smack into it.

"Ow!" Hermione said.

"Sorry!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ron?" Hermione asked. (A/N: Why would Ron ask his own name?)

"Hermione?"

"Hi."

"I take it you haven't found them either?"

"Nope. Well it actually depends who you're referring to."

"Why?"

"Because I walked in on Alicia and George kissing."

"Oh! Now I have tormenting material!"

"On who?" asked McGonagall.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Katie ran through the passage way she had found in the one eyed witch. Peeves had taken chase.

"Go away, Peeves!"

"I'm not Peeves! He's chasing me too!"

"Oh. Hi Lee." Katie noted that the passage had taken an upwards slope.

"How'd you know it was me?"

"You're the only one that sounds like you."

"Ah." Katie continued walking until her head hit something hard.

"Ow!"

"Oh no," Lee muttered.

"What?"

"We – erm- never mind." Katie pushed up on the roof. It lifted. Katie and Lee poked their heads out.

"Are we – are we in _Honeydukes_?" Lee nodded helplessly. "Umbrige is going to kill us."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So why did you hide in a broom closet?" Harry asked.

"The name of the game is Sardines," Ginny said.

"I wonder where everyone else is," Harry said.

"I'm not too fussed to be honest."

"Why?"

"I'm stuck in a closet where no one ever goes with the Harry Potter. I don't know if you know this but you really are quite nice to look at."

"Really? Well so are you Ms. Weasley." Harry leaned forward and was met halfway by Ginny. Now he was really thankful that no one else had found them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"George, what are you doing?" Angelina asked.

"Well, we were making out until you two showed up," Alicia said.

"Didn't need to know that."

"Hermione already found us."

"Oh."

"Yes and now someone else has found all four of you," Filch said from the curtain.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well should we go out?" Katie asked Lee.

"Maybe. We can sneak out and take a different passageway back." They crawled out of the trapdoor and onto main street Hogsmead.

"Come on! It's after hours and we're already off of school grounds. We need to get back! Now!" Katie said.

"Ms. Bell! Mr. Jordan! What are you doing out of bounds after hours?" Trelawney asked. "Never mind. I know. I'm taking you to Dumbledore's office."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well. Mr. Potter. Now I do get to drag you to the Headmaster. Come on both of you." It transpired that Umbrige hadn't left. She grabbed Harry and Ginny by the ears and led them to Dumbledore's office. As the door opened, everyone else who had participated in the game looked up with various adult chaperones. Filch, McGonagall, Trelawney and Dumbledore shared a look with Umbrige.

"Thank you all. Argus, Minerva, Sybil, Dolores. You may go. I can take it from here." The four adults left with a nod. Ron glanced down at Harry and Ginny who had just arrived. If he wasn't very much mistaken, Harry had Ginny's lipstick on.

"I believe you all know why you are here?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes."

"Let's get to the charges, shall we?"

They all exchanged nervous glances. "First off, Ms. Granger, Mr. Ron Weasley. I do have three Mr. Weasley's here. You two were found en-route to the kitchens talking about tormenting material." Ron and Hermione nodded. "Secondly, Mr.'s Fred and George Weasley, Ms. Johnson, Ms. Spinnet. The four of you were found in the dungeons with a shattered chandelier just outside the passage way you were lurking in."

"It was Peeves! We saw him!" Fred and Angelina stated hotly. Dumbledore held up a hand to silence them. Harry could detect a twinkle in his eyes.

"Thirdly, Ms. Bell and Mr. Jordan. You two were fund in Hogsmead! Coming out of Honeydukes." Lee and Katie hung their heads. "Lastly, Mr. Potter and Ms. Weasley. You two were found in a boom closet on the north tower 'snogging' as Dolores put it." Ron, Fred and George started to get out of their seats. Dumbledore motioned to them to remain sitting. "I am under the impression that the ten of you were playing a truly delightful muggle game called 'Sardines'. Am I correct?" Hermione nodded. "It was your idea Ms. Granger?" Hermione nodded again. "Well, then I only have one request. The next time you play this game, please do invite me."

**A/N: This is my first attempt at a oneshot. sort of. i guess you could call Observations of a Gryffindor Loveseat a colloections of oneshots, but you know. Review!**


End file.
